Sword & Plough: Military Style with a Purpose

With the help of 1,500 supporters from Kickstarter, an online fundraising campaigning, Sword & Plough has raised $312,000 to launch its quadruple bottom line bag company that works with veterans to repurpose military surplus fabric into stylish bags.

According to Sword & Plough, U.S. veteran unemployment rates are 16% higher than the national average for veterans ages 18-24. By focusing on this issue, Sword & Plough works with veteran sewers and repurposes military surplus material into stylish bags that would otherwise be burned or buried in a landfill. Sword & Plough is projected to upcycle 20,000 pounds of military surplus within its first year of sales.

The company aims to help more veterans earn a living and transition into civilian life, saying that more than one million veterans are projected to leave the military in the next four years, placing increased demands on the workforce. Sword & Plough embodies the movement toward domestically made sustainable fashion, veteran employment and strengthened civil-military relations.

Sword & Plough has been in the making since its founders, sisters Betsy and Emily Nunez, were born at West Point into a military family. Growing up watching their father lead soldiers inspired Emily to serve as an officer in the U.S. Army. The sisters are building their business while Emily is a U.S. Army Intelligence Officer.